Bug 1920574

Summary: Error setting up base repository when using kickstart in RHEL 8.3
Product: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Reporter: Jared Hocutt <jhocutt>
Component: anacondaAssignee: Anaconda Maintenance Team <anaconda-maint-list>
Status: CLOSED DUPLICATE QA Contact: Release Test Team <release-test-team-automation>
Severity: unspecified Docs Contact:
Priority: unspecified    
Version: 8.3CC: jcall, jstodola
Target Milestone: rc   
Target Release: 8.0   
Hardware: Unspecified   
OS: Unspecified   
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Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: 2021-01-26 19:18:36 UTC Type: Bug
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
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oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
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Description Jared Hocutt 2021-01-26 16:08:17 UTC
Description of problem:

I am using the RHEL 8.3 binary ISO with no modifications. When I boot from this ISO and do **not** provide a kickstart file, I am able to go through the install wizard and install RHEL 8.3 with the detected local media as the installation source as expected.

However, if I provide a kickstart file, instead it fails and under "Installation Source" I get the error "Error setting up base repository". If I click on this, the local media option is not there and I am only shown "Red Hat CDN" and "On the network".

After beating my head against the desk for a while trying to figure out what I was doing wrong, I downloaded the RHEL 8.2 binary ISO and everything works as expected with my kickstart file. So this appears to be an issue only with RHEL 8.3.


Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): RHEL 8.3


How reproducible: Always


Steps to Reproduce:
1. Download RHEL 8.3 ISO
2. Create USB of RHEL 8.3 using `sudo dd if=rhel-8.3-x86_64-dvd.iso of=/dev/sdb status=progress`
3. Boot from USB drive
4. Edit kernel parameters to add `inst.ks=http://ip_address/ks.cfg`
5. Finish booting and install will error with message described above.

Actual results: Installation fails


Expected results: Installation succeeds with kickstart file


Additional info:

Here is a copy of my kickstart file (note that I also reproduced this in a VM on my laptop to prevent having to run back and forth to my equipment close, so some of the IPs and network device names below may mirror what's in my VM, but I can assure that the same behavior is happening on physical hardware too):

```
#version=RHEL8
ignoredisk --only-use=vda
autopart --type=lvm
clearpart --all --initlabel --drives=vda

# Use graphical install
graphical
# Keyboard layouts
keyboard --vckeymap=us --xlayouts='us'
# System language
lang en_US.UTF-8
# System timezone
timezone America/New_York --isUtc
# System purpose
syspurpose --role="Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server" --sla="Self-Support"
# Run the Setup Agent on first boot
firstboot --enable
# Do not configure the X Window System
skipx
# System services
services --enabled="chronyd"
# Reboot after installation
reboot
# Use CDROM installation media
cdrom
bootloader --append="rhgb quiet crashkernel=auto"

# Network information
network --bootproto=static --device=enp1s0 --ip=192.168.122.150 --netmask=255.255.255.0 --gateway=192.168.122.1 --nameserver=9.9.9.9,1.1.1.1 --noipv6 --activate --interfacename=enp1s0
network --hostname=edge

# Root password
rootpw --iscrypted $6$iHd3lSiQjQQ3n9y9$Ar4YaA3ycL8796oSTDMmg3jgUCct1yEt6QKqrD3Z6yEkF9cJd1O6P.dihMI05QdWp3iNiahWBpoaXTJ2ALmnu/
user --groups=wheel --name=cloud-user --iscrypted --password=$6$5Hpz9nIL3YhDcg28$GDP1S8NDw4Xp.hghyS6earf1Uv/8iiAPzZUaJ4/EbWIcfwkm3VQYKxogftcVkpQY51NWU84Ngb.Om5Kqzw5U1.

# Packages
%packages
@^minimal-environment
@standard
kexec-tools
%end

# Add-ons
%addon com_redhat_kdump --enable --reserve-mb='auto'
%end

# Anaconda
%anaconda
pwpolicy root --minlen=6 --minquality=1 --notstrict --nochanges --notempty
pwpolicy user --minlen=6 --minquality=1 --notstrict --nochanges --emptyok
pwpolicy luks --minlen=6 --minquality=1 --notstrict --nochanges --notempty
%end
```


I have also created a GitHub gist with some screenshots of the errors I see for reference: https://gist.github.com/jaredhocutt/fc604070b8322d4448da3f44b2ca9850

Comment 1 John Call 2021-01-26 16:24:10 UTC
I looked at this briefly with Jared and it seems to me that Anaconda gets confused when the kickstart file comes from a web server, but the RPMs come from the ISO...

Comment 2 Jared Hocutt 2021-01-26 17:10:23 UTC
(In reply to John Call from comment #1)
> I looked at this briefly with Jared and it seems to me that Anaconda gets
> confused when the kickstart file comes from a web server, but the RPMs come
> from the ISO...

Though I will note that this exact setup of RPMs being from the ISO and the kickstart coming from the network works as expected with a RHEL 8.2 ISO.

Comment 3 Jan Stodola 2021-01-26 17:42:20 UTC
Jared,
this looks like bug 1914955. Could you please try the workaround in bug 1914955#c2 ?

You can also try to remove the following line from your kickstart (but be aware that anaconda may use all your disks in case there are other disks than vda):
ignoredisk --only-use=vda

Comment 4 Jared Hocutt 2021-01-26 18:33:01 UTC
Hi Jan,

Thank you for pointing me to that BZ. I can confirm that the work around did work for the RHEL 8.3 ISO.

Specifically, I set this in my kickstart, where vdb is the device that is my ISO in my virtualized environment where I'm reproducing this issue:

```
# Use CDROM installation media
# cdrom
harddrive --partition=vdb --dir=/
```

I did not have change or remote the ignoredisk --use-only=vda, which is nice because it makes me feel safer that I won't accidentally wipe all disks in a machine if I didn't mean to.

Thanks so much for the help! Feel free to dup this to the BZ you linked.

Comment 5 Jan Stodola 2021-01-26 19:18:36 UTC
OK, thanks for confirming that it's the same problem as bug 1914955.

I'm closing this one as a duplicate.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 1914955 ***